The Reawakening of the Hero
by chorltonni1
Summary: harry lives alone after losing his wife at the end of the war. A successful auror changes are afoot that will make the hero in harry reawaken possible romance not sure of pairing yet ALL CHARACTERS BASED ON CREATIONS BY JK ROWLING! ive just borrowed th
1. Chapter 1 Such a Nice Young Man

All belong created and owned by JK Rowling

Chapter 1

The small village of Godric's Hollow had been in the pages of The Daily Prophet for countless years. Since the night of the Dark Lord's visit to the village several years before to the climatic battle between Voldemort and the Boy who lived. That ended more favourably than the Dark Lord's previous visit. And life had returned to normal for the inhabitants of the small village. Which was surprising for all? They expected people to visit there all the time. Godric's Hollow was the home town of Harry Potter after all.

The hero of the second war was at the moment making his dinner in the house he called home. On the outside it seemed a normal two up two down detached house. Double Glazing, oil tank behind the house, a garden, a car in the drive way. This was just for visual purposes for the non magic people of the village. Of course they knew that they had wizards for neighbours but the muggles all agreed that it was a nice thought of the "Awfully polite, handsome man" who lived there. In the inside of the house was another matter. There were the normal muggle things of course. Electricity, TV, DVD player, Music system. They were just in a room that was massively oversized for the size of the house. Every room was the same. Enlarged, spacious and comfortable. Bookcases lined the walls of the study. A massive King size double bed was in the master bedroom. There even was a Quidditch pitch out the back garden (magically enchanted of course that the local muggles couldn't see a thing.)

The owner of the house was at this moment making his dinner while he had some paper work to do. Being Harry Potter after all enabled him to be able to bring his paperwork back from the Auror office and as the Ministry's top auror, he had a lot of paperwork to do. And that's mainly all Harry Potter had in his life now. His job.

Voldemort had been killed leaving Harry exhausted. The scar that had been the calling card of Voldemort years ago had closed and sealed leaving an unblemished forehead. The portrait of Professor Dumbledore had said that with Voldemort gone, all traces of him would be. Harry still had the parseltongue talent but the scar had gone. And though he had wished that he did not have it during his younger years, now it was gone, he found that he missed it. The only other thing he missed was his wife. Draco Malfoy had seen to that. Seeing the ash that was his master on the battlefield had sent the young pale faced man into madness. He had kidnapped the newly wed Mrs Susan Potter (nee Bones), and in what could only be described as barbarous killed the young woman. Unfortunately it was not as painless as an AVADA KEDAVRA. It was using muggle methods. It was Harry that had found her, barely alive, cut from knife wounds and a gunshot wound to her stomach. Harry had held her as she told him she loved him and passed away. He didn't grieve right away. He made it his purpose to find Malfoy.

The battle between the two was short and brutal. Malfoy was a powerful wizard. But Harry was a powerful wizard being driven by revenge and love for his wife. Malfoy didn't stand a chance. It was only with the intervention of Harry's work partner Ron and half the Order of the Phoenix that stopped him literally ripping Malfoy apart. Malfoy was now in a solitary cell deep within the bowels of Azkaban. Specially trained and enchanted house elves were his only visitors and that was only to be delivered his food. Other than that He was totally alone and solitary. Draco Malfoy was the second person that Harry Potter wanted dead.

Now he lived alone. Knowing that in his solitude he wouldn't get a loved one hurt again.


	2. Chapter 2 Just a Shell

Chapter 2

Hermione Weasley sat at her desk in Hogwarts staring at what must have been the hundredth bit of parchment that day. Essays on the pros and cons of being an animagi were usually quite interesting but since lunch time her mind just wasn't on her job. She had met her husband at lunchtime and he told her the usual goings on at auror headquarters. She was glad that Ron and Harry had brought to justice the feared werewolf Fenrir Greyback but what worried her most was what Ron told her was Harry's reaction to him. He explained that it was just like Malfoy. This did not go down well with her. Ron had also told her that when they had arrived back at headquarters, Harry had taken the entire paperwork home with him. Hermione was one of the many that was worried about Harry Potter.

A knock at the door to her office surprised her into reality again and she beckoned the person at the door to enter. Professor McGonagall entered in and stood at the end of the desk.

"So how goes the grading of the essays then?"

"Could be better!" Hermione gave a smile but McGonagall wasn't fooled by it.

"Hermione, how many times have I told you that when your mind is on other things not to grade papers. Essays from 7th years must have your full attention. Now what's wrong? Or do I know the answer to that already?"

"They got Greyback."

"They did? Excellent news. What punishment is being given to the insane creature?"

"Ron says that Harry is pushing for execution."

The words slowly sunk in and McGonagall looked at her. "Harry is? He has never pushed for anything like that before has he?"

"Only the once. Malfoy!"

McGonagall sat down on the chair opposite Hermione and let Hermione continue.

"He wanted that for Malfoy for Susan, he wants it for Greyback for Moony and when they catch Bellatrix Lestrange he'll want it for Sirius."

"Maybe then, he can finally start to live again."

Hermione stood up sharply, tears forming in her eyes. "Can't you see Minerva, he will never start to live again. He lost everything he ever wanted when Susan died. He was in love, he was happy Not even the war could stop him smiling. The only time I saw him really happy before that was when he was with Ginny in 6th year. When he fell in love with Susan, he glowed. Nothing could've stopped him. But when Malfoy killed her, all that was left was a shell. Yes it is Harry but it's not really him."

She sat back down on the chair, tears slowly falling from her eyes. Minerva went over to her and engulfed her in a hug. The two women were like that for some time.

If they had've looked up at the portrait on the wall, they would've saw Professor Dumbledore looking down on them with a twinkle in his eye.

And if they had've really listened they would've heard a mumble coming from the esteemed headmaster.

"Harry will love again. Maybe not the way you intend at the start, but he will love again."

And with that the grandfatherly headmaster slowly drifted off to snooze. Still a twinkle and a smile on his face.


	3. Chapter 3 Gleaming Kitchens

Chapter 3

It was an extremely sunny day, temperatures were at an all time high and Harry Potter slowly stirred on the sofa in his study. As he spent the majority of his time there doing paperwork, he had put a massive leather sofa in it too. Just in case he fell asleep. This was more or less the norm. he had not really slept in his bed in months. Bottles of firewhiskey and butterbeer lay around him, a picture of Susan on his chest. He had done what he had been doing for quite a while now. Drinking himself into a stupor, crying over his lost bride and fingering his wand. Most nights he pointed it to his head and tried to say two words that would mean he would see his wife again. But he never could. All he ended up doing was crying some more, and saying to her that he loved her and he would see her soon.

He pointed his wand at the mess "Scourgify" and the mess instantly disappeared. He knew that his friends had been worried about him since the war and he did not really want to worry them further with the empty bottles. He got up off his sofa and staggered to the mirror he had in the study. He looked into it and saw black bags under his eyes, day long stubble on his chin and once again he noticed that he had broke his glasses. Quickly fixing them, he walked up the stairs to his bathroom, flicking his wand at his stereo to turn it on. "Fade to Black" by Metallica filled the house as he showered and washed. Getting rid of the stubble was easy, getting rid of the hurt was harder.

He stumbled into the kitchen, frying pans and saucepans littered the cooker. His wizarding friends had always wondered why he did not use magic to do his cooking, but to Harry it seemed normal. The one part of his life that did not include magic and the one part of his life that he was happy about learning from his relatives. Nor did he use magic when he cleaned up his kitchen. He always cleaned up by using muggle means. Almost on auto pilot he cleaned around him, wiping work tops and clearing rubbish. After a short time it was completed. Gleaming. It was his only escape.

Pouring himself a cup of coffee, he stumbled through the gleaming kitchen to the messy hallway of his house. He stubbed his toe on a wooden box that lay in the corner of the hall and made his way to the front door to grab his morning paper.

It wasn't in its usual place.

Frowning at the fact that his morning routine had been interrupted, he moved to the door and undid the various locks that he had on the door.

He opened it, and automatically looked down, expecting a paper.

He saw something very different.

"OH F…"


	4. Chapter 4 What is it you want?

Chapter 4

"OH F…."

Harry looked down at the bundle that was lying on top of his morning paper and stared at it. He had a very good idea of what the bundle contained but was still wary of touching it, just in case his suspicions were true.

The bundle on the other hand had a better idea. Two small hands somehow managed to unwrap themselves from the bundle and grabbed a bottle that was lying beside it. In doing so a letter fell from the bundle and fell on the damp ground.

Bending down still unwilling to touch the bundle, he picked up the letter and unwrapped it.

"**I do not know who lives here, all I know is that it looks like a home that my daughter can be brought up in. I have no where else to turn to and no one who can help me. I don't have a lot of time left to me and now that my Holly is safe, I can rest now. Please look after her and give her all the love she deserves. There is another letter underneath her. Please give that to her when she is older so she can understand why I have done this."**

Harry re-read the letter again and set it down on the stairs. Tentatively he bent down to pick up the bundle of blankets that was lying in front of him. Having gingerly picked it up, he turned and went into his house. The locks on the doors automatically locked making the place secure again.

Setting the bundle down on his table, he unwrapped the various sheets and blankets that covered the child, and as the final blanket was unwrapped, he gazed at the baby girl lying in front of him.

She was extremely small, but her eyes were open, bright blue orbs that twinkled slightly, jet black hair covered her head and as she sucked at her bottle, Harry could tell one thing. She definitely liked her milk. Harry watched as the bottle of milk slowly emptied and then stood back in surprise as the bottle refilled itself. He allowed himself to smile as he realised that the little girl was a witch.

"Well, that wasn't accidental magic!"

All of a sudden, the baby started crying, the half empty bottle thrown to the ground, and it turned more into a scream as the baby's face screwed up and she wailed for all her might. Harry stood there totally at a loss what to do. He didn't have the first idea of what to do with a crying woman let alone a screaming crying child. So he did the first thing that came to mind.

He panicked.

"Now eh Holly, stop that crying…….please?"

Holly just cried louder and louder

Harry tried to think of what Bill Weasley done whenever one of his kids cried and then it clicked with him. It was either she needed lifting or the worse case scenario was the changing of the nappy.

He hoped it was the former

Now not having the first idea of how to life a baby, he struggled to get his hands in the right place first of all to lift her, then as he had managed to lift her, he felt a slight push that made him fall back into the chair at the table.

Holly fell against him and as his hand fell on her back, she quietened. Harry then came to the realisation that not only did she need lifted, she needed burped.

After rubbing her back for a minute or two, Holly belched. A loud welcoming belch.

Harry brought her so he could look into her face.

"Jeez little lady, you could give Ron a run for his money with that."

Holly just gurgled at him as if to say " You think that's good, wait and see what's in my nappy."


	5. Chapter 5 Shattered cups and lovely hugs

Chapter 5

Ron Weasley was in heaven. Well, not exactly heaven but he still felt like he was. He was still in his bed, beside his wife, content with his life. True, the pair of them were still saving to buy their own place but as Hermione had taken the post as charms professor at Hogwarts, they had begun to call the lodgings they had at the castle home. His enchanted alarm clock ( a present from Harry years ago) had gone off half an hour ago and Ron as was the tradition in the morning ( every morning actually) done the same thing he had done every morning since he had received the clock.

He threw it against the wall.

And then went straight back to sleep. It was too early to get up.

It was only when Hermione shrieked in his ear that he suddenly woke up.

"RON, why do you always throw away the alarm clock? You knew I wanted to get up early to finish grading those essays. And you should be up too. Honestly Ronald, I do not know how you can be one of the ministry's top aurors looking the way you do when you go to work."

Ron just gazed at his wife, still half asleep. He was used to this. It was one of the things he loved about the girl who had been his best friend in school and now his best friend in adulthood. He knew how to disarm his wife when she went off on one. And that was to remain quiet until she ran out of steam.

It was only when she had gone to the shower that he managed to disentangle himself from the sheets of the bed, stumbling into the kitchen to make himself a cup of coffee.

"WEASLEY!"

The coffee cup shattered on the floor as the voice of his boss rang out from the fireplace.

Ron went immediately to the fireplace and saw the face of his boss looking out. Even fire did not make Mad Eye look any better.

"Mad Eye? You do realise how early it is don't you?"

"No matter what time of the day it is, must I be the only one who practices CONSTANT VIGILANCE!!"

"Good point. What can I do for you?"

"I'm gonna come through the Floo. This sort of thing needs to be told directly"

Mad Eye's face disappeared from the flames.

Ron took this opportunity to warn Hermione he was coming and to get some clothes on pretty sharpish. He never did like where that magical eye of Moody's could see. Then ran into the kitchen shouted a quick "REPARO" to his shattered coffee cup and poured himself another coffee. And at the sound of his boss falling through the floo and ending up cursing on the floor, did he enter the living room again.

"Ok Mad Eye? What's the big mystery?"

"Has Potter checked in with you this morning?"

"No but then again he never really does that any more either. We meet at the Leaky Cauldron and then head into Muggle London to get to the Ministry. He used to leave from here before well you know. Why what's going on?"

"He flooed in to the office caught Tonks as she was about to head out and said he wouldn't be in today. Or for the next couple of days. He didn't give a reason or anything. Tonks got a hold of me as soon as she could and informed me of this."

Ron looked uneasy at the information that Moody had given him.

"Harry doesn't take days off anymore. He's got about…."

"Two years worth of leave to take. That's why I am concerned. And after the capture of Greyback, even this old man can get worried."

Ron had heard Hermione come down the stairs and knew she had caught the last bit of information and automatically knew that she would be upset by this information also. He turned to Moody

"Pass on my current assignments to Brewis and Bacon would you? I have a feeling I'm gonna be busy for a couple of days."

"Already done."

All of a sudden Ron was engulfed in a hug from his (still) bushy haired wife and she whispered in his ear

"Be totally sure he's ok."

He looked at his wife and kissed her.

Moody turned to the floo, threw the powder in it and prepared to step through. His eye swivelled round to look at the scene behind him.

"Bloody hormonal kids"

And just as he stepped into the fire, he heard three words coming from two of his most trusted friends.

"Piss off Alaisdair"

Chuckling to himself , He disappeared in the green fire.


	6. Chapter 6 Redheads and Bawling Babies

Chapter 6

Harry was now totally at a loss what to do. After flooing into work and telling Tonks that he wouldn't be in for a couple of days, he turned to see Holly looking awe struck at the green flames. As they died down, he saw what could only be described as a smile come to the small face.

Then the crying started.

He had picked her up, tried burping her again, tried to find some soothing music to try and placate her ( but in a house with everything from Metallica to the Weird Sisters, soft placating music was hard to come by), he even tried singing himself. But that made her cry more. He tried rocking her (He had picked up more tips from the Weasleys than even he thought he knew) and now he was at a total loss.

And still Holly cried.

Pacing up and down, he tried frantically to remember what else babies cry for. It was only with a slight smell that he had only just picked up that he realised what exactly was wrong.

"OH DEAR GOD NO! NOT THAT! ANYTHING BUT THAT!!!"

Harry had always steadfastedly refused to change any of his god childrens nappies ( to which he had 10 at the current count. 7 to the various Weasleys, One to Tonks and Two to Neville and Luna). His Godfather duties didn't go that far.

It was only when he heard the chime of a friendly face approaching the Hollow that he calmed down slightly. Hearing the door knock, he ran to it, opened it and pulled the person outside in. Door locking automatically behind them, he pulled Ron to his feet.

"Ron! Thank Merlin. You've gotta help me."

Ron Weasley looked at his friend closely wondering if this was really Harry Potter. The Harry he knew these days didn't ask for help, didn't show emotion and definitely didn't look like he was at a loss. This Harry Potter looked all of those. Plus he looked more than a shell. He looked alive.

"Harry, you ok?"

"Ok? OK!!!!!! Bloody hell mate, I'm in a situation that I need help with. Its not like I'm in the fight of my life here, this is much more serious."

Ron wondered what he meant by that comment until he heard the screaming child coming from the living area.

At hearing the sounds of the crying baby, Ron looked at Harry standing there looking flustered, sweaty and pathetic and done the only thing he could do.

He collapsed on the floor in hysterics.

Harry aimed a kick to Ron's backside and growled at him.

"This is not a time to be laughing; I really need some help here."

Still howling as he got up, Ron followed Harry into the living room, rubbing his arse where Harry aimed the kick.

Walking into the room he saw the makeshift cot that Harry had made for the baby and looked inside at the child.

She stopped crying for a second, looked at the strange red head man above her and screamed even more loudly.

Harry stood behind him.

"I've fed her, burped her, played music for her, done everything I could think of."

Ron turned to him.

"She needs her nappy changed, mate"

"How would you know? You don't have any kids yet."

"I do have the human versions of IVF for brothers remember."

Harry looked at Ron

"Its just that……"

"What?"

"I've no nappies or talc or anything like that here."

"And, I'm sure you have something we can use until you get some."

"Well, sure but em ah you see, I've kinda not, never or been able to do that sort of thing."

"What?"

"Change nappies!"

Ron looked at his best friend, the vanquisher of Voldermort, The man who lived, looking for the first time scared.

He collapsed in hysterics on the floor again.

In amongst his laughter, he said something that made even Harry smile.

"Bloody hell mate. Call yourself a powerful wizard."

And holding his sides, Ron Weasley proceeded to roll on the floor, laughing like he had never laughed before.

Harry stood there for a second watching his friend on the floor and then realised. He didn't have to change nappies the muggle way.. He had his wand after all. It was only Mrs Weasley who had told all of her children, Tonks, Neville and Luna that normal nappies must be used. Magical means of cleaning are all well and good, but somehow the muggle way was more beneficial.

Leaving the red faced, red haired buffoon called Ronald Weasley on the floor, he walked over to the cot and picked up the red faced child. Setting her down on the table, he proceeded to undo the baby grow she was in and proceeded to face the enemy.

Holding is nose, he opened the nappy and then wordlessly sent a cleaning spell to the nappy. It cleaned before his eyes. He then turned his attention to the baby and using the most gentle cleaning spell he could think of, cleaned her too. Once he had fixed the child back in her clothes, did he notice the quietness around the house. He looked at the child and he swore he could see a smile.

He walked with the child in his arms back into the living room and set the child down in the makeshift crib. Almost immediately, she started closing her eyes, giving Harry a small smile again. Harry watched as she drifted off to sleep.

Ron by this time had picked himself off the floor and as the child nodded off, he beckoned Harry to go with him to the kitchen. Closing the door, Harry told him of the mornings events.

"So what are you going to do now?" Ron asked

"First of all, I need to get some information. Who she is? Where she come from?"

Ron snickered

"Mate, I think there's more things than that to do first."

"Yeah like what?"

Ron then rolled off a list of things to get. Clothes, Nappies, Shots, Toys, a proper cot. To Harry the list went on and on.

"She's not staying here. I am sure there are better people, married people who could deal with a child. I live on my own. I like it on my own."

Ron looked at his long time friend.

"You're only alone that way because you have closed down. You're afraid of being hurt, you're afraid of someone being hurt. You have been exactly the same since Hogwarts."

Ron took a deep breath

"When are you gonna realise that bad things happen to everyone, not only you. You have had more grief and tragedy than anyone else, but guess what. YOU ARE STILL HERE. YOU ARE STILL ALIVE. YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN LIFE. WHEN WILL YOU GET IT THROUGH YOUR THICK BLACK HAIRED SKULL THAT YOU HAVE A FAMILY THAT CARES FOR YOU. WHO ARE WORRIED SICK ABOUT YOU AND ARE ALWAYS THERE FOR YOU."

At the last words from Ron's mouth, a baby crying could be heard from beyond the closed door.

Ron cursed under his breath. And looked at his friend.

Harry smiled

" Seeing as you woke her, you can sort her out."

Ron looked amazed as Harry left the kitchen and went upstairs. Only on hearing a shower come on, did he turn and headed to face his greatest challenge.


End file.
